Paint receptacle and paint roller device



March 22, 1966 J, JOHNSON 3,241,175

PAINT REGEPTACLE AND PAINT ROLLER DEVICE Filed June 1, 1964 INVENTOR.

RICHARD J. JOHNSON United States Patent 3,241,175 PAINT RECEPTACLE AND PAINT ROLLER DEVICE Richard J. Johnson, 5049 W. Campbell Ave., Phoenix, Ariz. Filed June 1, 1964, Ser. No. 371,253 Claims. (Cl. 15-520) This invention relates to a paint receptacle and paint roller device, and, more particularly, to a paint receptacle and paint roller device wherein a means in the receptacle is subject to rotary engagement of a rotating element on the paint roller to insure rotation of the roller when it is picking up slick paint in the receptacle, and more specifically the invention relates to a spur gear on the roller engaged with a complemental gear rack stationarily held in the receptacle.

In conventional paint receptables and paint rollers great ditficulty has been encountered in the operation of these devices when attempting to rotate a roller in a respective receptacle wherein slick paint is contained. In many instances the roller becomes eccentrically loaded with heavy slick paint and the coefficient of friction is so low that the roller cannot be completely rotated to cause an entire peripheral coating on the roller, and this difficulty prevents normal uniform coating of the roller and therefore wastes considerable time of the painter.

Accordingly, it is a object of the present invention to provide a paint receptacle and paint roller device which insures complete peripheral coating of a paint roller with slick paint when the roller is moved back and forth in the receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel paint receptacle and paint roller device wherein traction means in the receptacle is engaged by a relatively hard generally circular traction portion of a soft paint pickup roller to thereby insure complete rotation of the roller in the receptacle when picking up slick paint.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paint receptacle and roller device in which a toothed gear rack is stationarily disposed in connection with a paint receptacle, and this rack is engageable by a generally circular toothed spur gear connected to a soft surfaced paint pickup roller whereby the roller may be rolled laterally of its axis and positively rotated by means of traction between the spur gear and the rack so that the entire periphery of the roller may be coated with slick paint.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel paint receptacle and paint roller device in which a gear rack may be integral with a paint receptacle, or removably connected thereto, and support therein to be engaged by a spur gear on a paint roller, thus permitting the invention to be installed in connection with existing paint receptacles or to provide for facility of manufacturing new ones.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a novel paint receptacle and paint roller device which is very economical to manufacture so that substantially no increase in cost will be incurred in producing the improvement of the invention.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paint roller having a spur gear in connection therewith in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modified form of the roller including a substantially circular traction element connected to the end of a soft paint pickup roller in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a paint receptacle show- 3,241,175 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 ing a gear rack integral therewith and having teeth adapted to mesh with teeth of the roller shown in FIG. 1, or to be engaged by the circular traction element of the roller shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a phantom perspective View of a conventional paint receptacle showing a gear rack in accordance with the present invention provided with clips engaged with the side of the conventional paint receptacle for holding the gear rack therein and in position to mesh with the spur gear or the traction element of the roller shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the invention comprises a generally circular in cross section cylindrical roller 10 which is adapted to pick up paint on its periphery. This roller is generally of soft absorbent material, but may be made of any suitable material as desired. An axle 12 is disposed centrally of the roller 10 and provides a rotating axle therefor so that the roller 10 is freely rotatable about this axle 12.

Fixed to the roller 10, and rotatable about the axle 12, at one end of the roller 10 is a spur gear 14 having gear teeth 16 which are adapted to mesh with teeth 18 of a gear rack 20 formed integral with a paint receptacle 22. The rack 18 may be formed by die work shaped to press the teeth 20 from the sheet metal of the pan structure of the receptacle.

The axle 12 is provided with an integral shank 24 connected to a handle 26 for manual rotary operation of the roller 10 in the receptacle 22. The gear 14 at its gear teeth 16 may be meshed with the teeth 20 of the rack 18, and as the roller is moved in the receptacle 22 laterally of the axis of the axle 12 the spur gear 14 connected to the roller 10 positively rotates its periphery in the pan or receptacle 22, thereby insuring positive rotation of the roller even though the receptacle 22 contains very slick paint having a very low coeilicient of friction.

In the modification, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the roller 10 is provided with a generally circular traction element 28 which is of relatively hard material and which may have a peripheral portion 30 suitably knurled or otherwise provided with a frictional surface adapted to engage the rack 18 or engage a comparable friction or traction rack portion formed or secured in the receptacle 22. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that equivalents of the spur gear 14 and circular traction means 28, and of the tooth rack 18 and any suitable friction or traction rack means may be considered to fall within the scope of the present invention simply to insure positive rotation of the roller 10 in the receptacle 22 when filled or partially filled with very thick paint having a low coeflicient of friction. Thus the traction element on the roller and in the receptacle will have a higher coefiicient of friction than the paint on the periphery of the pickup roller, and thus insure complete rotation of the roller to insure uniform coating of the periphery of the roller with the paint when the roller is moved laterally of the axis of the axle 12 and rotated thereabout.

As shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, a conventional paint receptacle 32 illustrated by broken lines may be provided with a gear or friction rack 34 by suspending such a rack in the receptacle 32 by means of clips 36 and 38 having substantially U-shaped clips 40 and 42 engaging a normally upper edge 44 of the conventional paint receptacle. Thus, the gear or traction rack 34 is held in the receptacle and engageable with either the spur gear 14 or the circular traction element 28, or any equivalent thereof, to provide a relatively higher coefficient of friction on the roller than would normally be encountered in the rolling of such a roller in slick paint which has a low coefficient of friction.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a paint receptacle and paint roller device the combination of: a paint receptacle for containing paint; a rollerhandle; a roller rotatably connected to said handle and having; a paint pickup peripheral portion, said roll- *er rollable in said receptacle; a toothed gear rack means stationari ly carried by said receptacle; and a toothed spur gear coupled; to said roller and meshable with said gear; rack whereby rolling action of said roller in said receptacle is positively accomplished when slick paint is being picked up by the periphery of said roller; said gear rack means disposed near the inner bottom portion of said receptacle and, thus, below a normal paint level therein; said spur gear nearly the diameter of said roller whereby the periphery of said roller may reach close to the bottom of said receptacle when said spur gear is rolled in meshed relation to said gear rack; the bottom portion of said receptacle inclined for distributing the paint on the roller and said rack being positioned and extended along the inclined bottom portion of the receptacle.

2. In a paint receptacle and paint roller device the combination of a paint receptacle for containing paint; a roller handle; a roller rotatably connected to said handle and having a paint pickup peripheral portion, said roller rollable in said receptacle; a toothed gear rack means stationarily carried by said receptacle; and a toothed spur gear coupled to said roller and meshable with said gear rack whereby rolling action of said roller in said receptacle is positively accomplished when slick paint is being picked up by the periphery of said roller; said gear rack means being integral with said receptacle; said. gear rack means disposed near the inner bottom portion of said receptacle and, thus, below a normal paint level therein; said spur gear nearly the diameter of said roller whereby the periphery of said roller may reach close to the bottom of said receptacle when said spur gear is rolled in meshed relation to said gear rack; the bottom portion of said receptacle inclined for distributing the :paint on the roller and said rack being positioned and extended along the inclined bottom portion of the receptacle.

3. In a paint receptacle and paint roller device the combination of: a paint receptacle for containing paint; a roller handle; a roller rotatably connected to said handle and having a paint pickup peripheral portion, said roller rollable in said receptacle; a toothed gear rack means stationarily carried by said receptacle; and a toothed spur :gear coupled to said roller and meshable with said gear rack whereby rolling action of said roller in said receptacle is positively accomplished when slick paint is being picked up by the periphery of said roller; means connecting said gear rack with said receptacle; said gear rack means disposed near the inner bottom portion of said receptacle and, thus, below a normal paint level therein; said spur gear nearly the diameter of said roller whereby the periphery of said roller may reach close to the bottom of said receptacle when said spur gear is rolled in meshed relation to said gear rack; the bottom portion of said receptacle inclined for distributing the paint on the roller and said rack being positioned and extended along the inclined bottom portion of the receptacle.

4. In a paint receptacle and paint roller device the combination of: a paint receptacle for containing paint; a roller handle; a roller rotatably connected to said handle and having a paint pickup peripheral portion, said roller rollable in said receptacle; a toothed gear rack means stationarily carried by said receptacle; and a toothed spur gear coupled to said roller and meshable with said gear rack whereby rolling action of said roller in said receptacle is positively accomplished when slick paint is being picked up by the periphery of said roller; means connectingsaid gear rack with said receptacle and holding said rack internally thereof; said gear rack means disposed near the inner bottom portion of said receptacle and, thus, below a normal paint level therein; said spur gear nearly the diameter of said roller whereby the. periphery of said roller may reach close to the bottom of said receptacle when said spur gear is rolled in meshed relation to said gear rack; the bottom portion of said receptacle inclined for distributing the paint on the roller and said rack being positioned and extended along the inclined bottom portion of the receptacle.

5. In a paint receptacle and paint roller device the combination of: a paint receptacle for containing paint; a roller handle; a soft paint pickup roller rotatably connected to said handle, said roller rollable in said receptacle; a traction rack means stationarily carried by said receptacle; and a relatively hard generally circular traction element coupled to said roller and engageable with said traction rack means whereby rolling action of said roller in said receptacle is positively accomplished when slick paint is being picked up by the periphery of said roller; said gear rack means disposed near the inner bottom portion of said receptacle and, thus, below a normal paint level therein; said spur gear nearly the diameter of said roller whereby the periphery of said roller may reach close to the bottom of said receptacle when said spur gear is rolled in meshed relation to said gear rack; the bottom portion of said receptacle inclined for distributing the paint on the roller and said rack being positioned and extended along the inclined bottom portion of the receptacle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,228,829 6/1917 Schaller 101338 1,903,152 3/1933 Watson et a1. 15-2105 X 2,838,781 6/1958 Molle 15257.06

RQBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A PAINT RECEPTACLE AND PAINT ROLLER DEVICE THE COMBINATION OF: A PAINT RECEPTACLE FOR CONTAINING PAINT; A ROLLER HANDLE; A ROLLER ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO SAID HANDLE AND HAVING A PAINT PICKUP PERIPHERAL PORTION, SAID ROLLER ROLLABLE IN SAID RECEPTACLE; A TOOTHED GEAR RACK MEANS STATIONARILY CARRIED BY SAID RECEPTACLE; AND A TOOTHED SPUR GEAR COUPLED TO SAID ROLLER AND MESHABLE WITH SAID GEAR RACK WHEREBY ROLLING ACTION OF SAID ROLLER IN SAID RECEPTACLE IS POSITIVELY ACCOMPLISHED WHEN SLICK PAINT IS BEING PICKED UP BY THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROLLER; SAID GEAR RACK MEANS DISPOSED NEAR THE INNER BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND, THUS, BELOW A NORMAL PAINT LEVEL THEREIN; SAID SPUR GEAR NEARLY THE DIAMETER OF SAID ROLLER WHEREBY THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROLLER MAY REACH CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID RECEPTACLE WHEN SAID SPUR GEAR IS ROLLED IN MESHED RELATION TO SAID GEAR RACK; THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID RECEPTACLE INCLINED FOR DISTRIBUTING THE PAINT ON THE ROLLER AND SAID RACK BEING POSITIONED AND EXTENDED ALONG THE INCLINED BOTTOM PORTION OF THE RECEPTACLE. 